Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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163. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to provide grant aid to support and stimulate the growth of rail freight; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31128/20]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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164. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to reduce the current track access charges for rail freight, which are currently the highest in the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31129/20]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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165. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that at the end of August 2020 the French Prime Minister announced that France would waive track access charges for rail freight for the remainder of 2020 and cut them in half for all of 2021, EU regulations permitting; his plans to support the regulation to reduce, waive or defer track access charges and ask the railway undertaking to follow the regulation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31130/20]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if financial supports are planned to allow Iarnród Éireann to modernise and expand its rail freight rolling stock fleet as the current limited stock will not allow for business expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31131/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 to 166, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have a strong interest in this area and I see potential for the development of rail freight in Ireland.

I recently met with the Chairman and Chief Executive of Irish Rail and we discussed a number of issues, including the company's plans for the development of rail freight.

Irish Rail is preparing a Rail Freight Strategy with the support of outside consultants to guide actions to 2040. The company hopes to have this report complete in the coming months and I have asked that the company also submit the report to me.

The issue of access charges to the rail network for freight is a matter in the first instance for the company and, I would expect, will be reviewed in the Rail Freight Strategy.